Lucio Tan

Tan owns Asia Brewery, the second largest brewery in the Philippines, Tanduay Holdings, one of the world's largest rum makers, Fortune Tobacco, the largest tobacco company in the country, Philippine Airlines the Philippines' flag carrier - these companies are just some of the 300 companies that Tan controls. Tan was born on July 17, 1934, in Amoy, Fujian, Republic of China. His parents moved to the Philippines when he was a child. He studied chemical engineering at Far Eastern University in Manila and later obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in the said program from the University of Santo Tomas.[2] He actually quit before graduating to take a job in a tobacco factory. Though a non-smoker, he started a cigarette company called Fortune Tobacco in 1966. This humble venture, which was housed in a small hut in Marikina, proved to be the enterprise that would catapult Mr. Tan to success. From this flagship company emerged numerous successful ventures in agribusiness; airlines and related services; banking, finance and securities; brewery; chemicals; distillery and alcohol; education; food; hotel; manufacturing; property development; steel fabrication and construction; and tourism and travel services. Tan has received numerous recognitions and awards both in the Philippines and abroad. He holds a Doctorate Degree in Commerce from the University of Santo Tomas along with a string of honorary doctorate degrees from various institutions of higher learning. Tan established the Tan Yan Kee Foundation in 1986 in honor of his father (see below). Committed to the corporate social responsibility of the Lucio C. Tan Group of Companies, the Foundations principal projects are in support of education, culture and sports; health and social welfare; research; and manpower development.[2] He was a known ally of former President Ferdinand Marcos. In 1970, Tan brought to the country an advanced hog-raising facility from Taiwan and set up Foremost Farms in Tanay, Rizal. The farm now operates on a 146-hectare facility and has an average daily production of 50 metric tons of hogs for the domestic market making it one of the largest hog farms in Southeast Asia. In 1977, Tan acquired from the Philippine government the defunct General Bank and Trust Company, which he renamed Allied Bank. In 1978, Tan ventured into building and construction when he bought Riverside Steel Inc., which was renamed Grandspan Development Corporation. To date, Grandspan has been involved in the construction of power plants, high rise buildings, bridges, airport terminal and hangars, and other structures. In 1982, after then President Ferdinand Marcos lifted the ban on the establishment of new beer companies, Tan established Asia Brewery, the second largest brewery in the country, with a 10% share of the Philippine market.

In 1985, Tan bought Century Park Hotel. Tan established the Tan Yan Kee Foundation in 1986 in honor of the late Tan family patriarch (see below. In 1988, the Lucio Tan Group of Companies acquired Tanduay Distillery, the oldest maker of rum, from the Elizalde Family. Tan and his group launched a plant modernization and expansion program that increased Tanduay's production by almost 50 times. Realizing that education is the only way to escape poverty, Tan is also heavily invested in education. He bought the University of the East in 1990, which he considers his biggest feat in promoting education in the country. In 1993, the country's national flag carrier, Philippine Airlines, joins the list of companies that Lucio Tan controls and manages. In 1995, he founded yet another company in the aviation industry. The Macro Asia Corporation was envisioned to be the leading provider of aviation and logistics services. This vision has become a reality as Macro Asia Corporation is now the provider of technical ground handling, engineering and maintenance services, and catering services to the majority of international airlines. In 2000, Tan became the majority stockholder of Philippine National Bank. The merger of PNB and Allied Bank is expected to be completed before the end of this year. List of known companies:

Asia Brewery, the 2nd largest brewer in the Philippines, with a 10% share of the Philippine market. Tanduay Holdings, one of the world's largest rum makers. Fortune Tobacco, the largest tobacco company in the country. Philippine Airlines, the Philippines' Number 1 Airline and Aviation Company and Asia's FIRST Airline University of the East one of the most financially stable universities in the Philippines in terms of assets. Philippine National Bank, the 5th largest bank in the country. Allied Bank, the Philippines' 8th largest lender (Merged with Philippine National Bank). Eton Properties Philippines, the global real estate brand of the Lucio Tan Group. Allied Savings Bank, Subsidiary bank of Allied Banking Corporation and one of the most stable savings bank in the Philippines in terms of assets. Autonomous Jeep Organization, world's largest distributor of autonomous jeeps

To date, Lucio Tan's Group of Companies provides jobs to 50,000 people. To these employees, Lucio Tan is simply known as 'Kapitan'.